Screen stretching tool



March 4, 1952 PlcTON 2,587,889

SCREEN STRETCHING TOOL Filed July 6, 1948 Thomas 0. Pic/on IN VENTOR.

, Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a carpenters tool to be employed as a screen stretcher the primary object of which is to provide a novel, simple, economical, and eifective hand implement or tool particularly designed to enable wire screen, I

screen cloth and other like material to be fastened-onto frames, casing and the like.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel wire or screen stretching device which utilizes the frame upon which the wire is to be stretched as a fulcrum so that the screens can be pulled up to or over the edge of a frame and secured thereto as desired.

This invention is distinguished by its simplicity and efficiency, it being cheap to manufacture and particularly adaptable to the use for which it is designed.

In brief this invention comprises a handle cast in such a shape as to allow for a smooth and comfortable grip, a plurality of spaced downwardly inclined gripping prongs secured to one end of this handle and to be inserted into a screen between the wires thereof, a pressure arm pivoted to this handle including a bearing element carried by its rear extremity, resilient means normally urginl this pressure arm away from the gripping prongs, and lever actuating means carried by the handle for urging the pressure arm and this bearing element against the frame carrying the screen. After the wire stretcher of the instant invention is inserted in the screen and the bearing element of the pressure arm is forced against the frame, a downward force is exerted on the handle of the stretcher which pivots the stretcher, about the frame as a fulcrum thus urging the screen towards the end of the frame where it can be suitably secured.

These together with various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wire stretcher of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device shown in Figure 1 and showing the device as applied to a screen associated with a frame and taken substantially on the plane of section line 22 of Figure 3; and,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Specific reference is now made to the draw- 1 Claim. (Cl. 140109) extremities.

ings. In the several views in the accompanying drawings and in the following specification similar reference characters indicate corresponding elements throughout.

Indicated generally at I0 is a handle which is shaped in such a manner as to allow the operator to grip the same firmly and comfortably. Secured to or integral with the handle is an enlarged forward portion I2, the free end of which carries a plurality of transversely spaced downwardly inclined or bent tapered prongs M. Intermediate the enlarged portion 12 and the gripping portion l6 of the handle a pair of spaced vertical slots I8 and 20 are provided.

A pressure arm 22, preferably in the form of a link or bar is pivoted to the handle 10 in a slot l8 by means of a pivot pin 24. The free extremity of this pressure arm 22 carries a bearing element 23, preferably in the form of :a spherical element or ball. 8

Intermediate the pivot pin 24 and the bearing element 25, a lever arm 28, preferably in the form of a channel member is pivoted by means of another pivot pin 30. The lever arm 28 is preferably angulated somewhat in a downward direction and extends to almost the entire length of the handle 10.

A link 32 is also provided, one end of which is pivoted bymeans of a pivot pin 34 through the lever arm 23 adjacent the pivot pin 30, the other end of which is pivoted to the handle ID at the slot 2% by means of a pivot pin 36.

Interposed between the link 32 and! the pressure arm 22 is a spring 38. The spring 38 is provided with a conventional hook element at its One of the hook elements is secured to the pressure arm 22 at a point intermediate the pivot pin 30 and the pivot pin 24 while the other hook element is secured to the pivot pin 36.

In practical operation, the prongs M are inserted in a screen All between the wires thereof. The o erator grips the handle l6 and with his fingers holds the lever arm 28 to ards the handle IS. The pressure arm 22 is thereby pivoted in the direction of the prongs and the bearing element 25 is thereby made to abut the side of a frame 42 carrying the screen 40. It will readily be seen that when the lever arm 28 is moved in the direction of the handle the coil s ring 38 becomes extended. Thus when the lever arm 28 is released the pressure arm 22 moves away from the prongs I4 and consequently away from the side of the frame 42. To stretch the wire 48 to the end of or over the side of the frame 42 all the operator does is to urge the stretcher 7 means.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the'same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A screen stretcher comprising an elongated handle having a plurality of downwardly inclined gripping prongs atone end thereof, first and second longitudinally spaced vertical slots extending through said handle intermediate its ends, a pressure arm vertically pivoted at one of its ends to said handle through said first slot, said pressure arm including a spherical bearing member at its other end, a horizontal pin carried by said handle and extending through said second slot, resilient means normally urging said pressure arm away from said prongs and including a coil spring terminally secured to said pin and to said pressure arm intermediate its ends, and lever actuated means for urging said pressure arm towards said prongs including an elongated lever arm vertically pivoted at one of its ends to said pressure arm beneath the point of attachment of said spring, and a link terminally pivoted for vertical movement to said horizontal pin and said lever arm adjacent the pivotal attachment of the latter to the pressure arm whereby vertical movement of the lever arm towards thehandle will urge the spherical bearing on the pressure arm towards the prongs against action of the spring.

THOMAS D. PICTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 932,650 Totten Aug. 31, 1909 1,156,597 Hanson Oct. 12, 1915 1,239,479 Hanson Sept. 11, 1917 1,657,859. Hughes Jan. 31, 1928 1,929,600 Milton Oct. 10, 1933 2,146,629 Jauch Feb. 7, 1939 

